Nigel Farage is receiving approximately 30 death threats each week, with Reform UK stating it has logged 1,577 threats against him since February, including 597 specifically threatening his life. The party claims some individuals are fixated on killing the Reform leader.
Farage is scheduled to discuss the threats with the Home Office's elite security team. This meeting follows the murder of Ann Widdecombe and an escalating dispute over the security provisions for Farage and other Reform politicians. Reform's Treasury spokesman, Robert Jenrick, accused ministers of prioritizing political gamesmanship over the safety of politicians, suggesting their views are unpopular with the establishment.
Downing Street has refuted these claims, highlighting that Farage was offered a meeting with the Royal and VIP Executive Committee (Ravec), which oversees security for senior figures. Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood extended this offer in the wake of Widdecombe's attack. Jenrick criticized Mahmood, calling it a "dereliction of duty" and stating the offer could have been made sooner.
A spokesperson for the Prime Minister's office affirmed that Keir Starmer believes all Members of Parliament should have adequate security and that "no politician should be targeted or face abuse, regardless of their views."
Jenrick acknowledged that Farage was offered a security package comparable to that of Kemi Badenoch, which includes a car and a bodyguard. However, Jenrick argued this offer did not adequately reflect the severity of the threats Farage faces.
A Reform UK spokesperson stated that within days of Charlie Kirk's assassination, a period of escalating threats against public figures on the right, the security package offered to Farage was a 75% reduction without a clear explanation. The party declined this diminished package, opting to provide its own protection rather than risk Farage's life.
Concerns about the safety of public figures have been echoed by others. Chef Prue Leith expressed worry for her son, MP Danny Kruger, a prominent Reform figure, describing the situation as "scary" and uncharacteristic for British political discourse.
Reform UK has compiled a dossier of threatening messages directed at Farage, many of which were posted on social media. These messages include explicit calls for his execution, threats of violence in specific locations, and references to historical punishments for alleged treason. Some messages originated from accounts suspected of neo-Nazi affiliations, labeling Farage a "race traitor" and predicting his execution.
Sir Robert Buckland, a former Tory Cabinet minister leading a review into MPs' security post-Sir David Amess's murder, stated that security measures must be enhanced. However, he cautioned against implementing changes that could isolate politicians from the public they serve.